Early origins

The history of Gulong is distinct because the company’s institutional history and the Gulong brand history have different starting dates.

According to the corporate history of Xiamen Gulong Food, the enterprise traces its origins to 1907, making it part of a food-manufacturing tradition that is more than a century old. The company describes its development as evolving from earlier Xiamen food and canning operations into today’s Xiamen Gulong Food Co., Ltd.[1]

Another account identifies 1954 as the establishment of Xiamen Cannery, the predecessor of Xiamen Gulong Canned Food Co., Ltd. This date is commonly cited in overseas descriptions of the brand’s canned-food manufacturing lineage.[2]

Establishment of the Gulong brand

The Gulong brand itself was created in 1994. The timeline of the brand’s development is as follows:

• 1907 — Corporate history traced to predecessor organizations.
• 1954 — Xiamen Cannery established, representing the modern canned-food manufacturing lineage.
• 1994 — The Gulong (古龙) brand was formally created.

Following its launch, the brand developed around canned Chinese-style foods and expanded its product range and international distribution.[2]

Gulong (古龙) is written in Chinese characters as 古龙. The two characters translate literally as:

• 古 (gǔ) — ancient, old, or traditional
• 龙 (lóng) — dragon

Thus, 古龙 can be understood literally as “Ancient Dragon” or “Old Dragon.” However, the brand is referred to simply as Gulong in English rather than by a translated name.

It is important to distinguish the food brand Gulong (古龙) from the famous Chinese novelist Gu Long (古龙), whose name uses the same Chinese characters. The two are unrelated.

Gulong is the principal food brand associated with Xiamen Gulong Food Co., Ltd., which identifies itself as a subsidiary of Xiamen Light Industry Group Co., Ltd.[1] The company describes itself as a state-owned enterprise and a leading entity in China’s canned-food industry. Its activities have expanded beyond conventional canning into soft-packaged foods, condiments, prepared and nutritional meals, and food-related tourism.[1]

A related trading company, Xiamen Gulong Trading Co., Ltd., handles hundreds of Gulong canned products and manages international distribution. The company states that these products are exported to more than 30 countries and regions, including markets in Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore.[1]

Gulong’s identity is strongly associated with Chinese-style canned foods. The company and its distributors categorize their major products as follows:[2]

Canned meat

Canned meat is arguably Gulong’s most distinctive category. Major examples include:

• Braised Pork in Brown Sauce (红烧猪肉)
• Braised pork slices
• Pork with mushrooms
• Pork luncheon meat
• Pork cubes
• Minced pork with bean paste and mushroom
• Other seasoned and cooked meat products

The Braised Pork in Brown Sauce is particularly representative of the brand. Gulong states that this product draws on more than 60 years of braised-pork production experience and uses Gulong soy sauce made through traditional brewing methods.[1]

Luncheon meat

Gulong produces canned pork luncheon meat, which has become one of its recognizable products in Asian grocery stores. The brand’s yellow-can luncheon meat is described in industry materials as a classic product. Gulong has promoted a production process for this specific item that does not use nitrite as a curing additive.[3]

Seafood

The product portfolio includes canned aquatic products such as:

• Yellow croaker
• Sardines
• Mackerel
• Tuna
• Other canned fish and seafood

The broader catalogue also includes canned tuna in chunks or flakes and various other seafood preparations.[1]

Vegetables and mushrooms

Gulong manufactures shelf-stable plant-based products, including:

• Canned mushrooms
• Mixed vegetables
• Fruit products
• Other preserved vegetables

This range extends the brand’s offerings well beyond meat products.[1]

Condiments

Chinese-style sauces and seasonings form another significant part of the brand, particularly:

• Soy sauce
• Bean paste
• Salted black beans
• Meat sauces

Gulong emphasizes traditional fermentation and brewing methods, especially for its soy sauce.[1]

A major theme of the Gulong brand is the combination of industrial food production with traditional Xiamen culinary techniques.

The company promotes its traditional soy-sauce-making process, stating that some of its soy sauce is produced using traditional vat brewing, natural fermentation, and drying, with a brewing period of approximately 365 days.[1]

Furthermore, the traditional Xiamen soy-sauce brewing process used by the company has been included in the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Fujian Province.[3] This heritage supports the brand’s positioning as a preserver of traditional Chinese flavors in a convenient, shelf-stable format, rather than merely a generic canned food producer.

Gulong operates large-scale food-production facilities in Xiamen. An overseas brand profile describes the Gulong Industrial Park as covering approximately 280,000 m², with substantial investment in facilities for canned-food research and production.[2]

The company maintains several management and safety systems, including:

• ISO 9001 — Quality management
• ISO 22000 — Food safety management
• HACCP — Food safety hazard control
• ISO 14001 — Environmental management
• ISO 45001 — Occupational health and safety
• CQC GF KZS1001 — Traceability-related certification

Additionally, the company’s technical-center laboratory has received CNAS accreditation.[1] These certifications indicate that Gulong combines traditional recipes with modern industrial food-safety and quality-control systems.

Although Gulong is a Chinese brand, it has a significant export orientation. The company states that its products are sold domestically and internationally, reaching dozens of countries and regions.[1]

Distribution networks have historically covered areas including:

• Southeast Asia
• Hong Kong and Macau
• Japan
• Australia and New Zealand
• Europe
• Canada
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Africa
• Pacific island markets

An earlier company profile stated that the Gulong trademark had been registered in 54 countries and regions, although this figure represents historical data rather than necessarily current registrations.[4]

Gulong maintains a noticeable presence in Southeast Asian Chinese-food markets. In Malaysia, for example, products are available through Chinese grocery and food-distribution channels. Marketplace listings in the region include:

• Gulong Pork Luncheon Meat
• Gulong Stewed Pork
• Gulong Stewed Pork Sliced
• Gulong Pork Mince with Bean Paste
• Gulong Mushrooms

This availability makes Gulong familiar to consumers seeking Chinese-style canned meat and pantry staples, distinguishing it from Western-style luncheon-meat brands.

Gulong occupies a specific position in the food market as a traditional Chinese canned-food brand with mass-market appeal. Its positioning relies on several factors:

Convenience

Canning allows traditionally prepared dishes, such as braised pork, to be stored for long periods without refrigeration prior to opening.

Familiar Chinese flavors

Rather than producing generic canned meat, Gulong focuses on flavors associated with Chinese cuisine, including braised pork, soy sauce, bean paste, mushrooms, and Chinese-style seasonings.

Long heritage

The brand leverages a manufacturing history extending back more than half a century in modern canning, with corporate roots reaching even further.[1]

Affordable pantry food

Products are generally positioned as practical pantry ingredients rather than luxury items. They can be eaten directly after heating or incorporated into dishes such as rice, noodles, soups, and stir-fries.

Canned braised pork is the product most strongly associated with Gulong. It is essentially a shelf-stable version of a familiar Chinese braised-meat preparation.

The company states that production draws upon more than 60 years of braised-pork technology, while the sauce uses traditionally brewed Gulong soy sauce.[1] The product is sold in various formats and sizes, including a commercial specification of 390 g × 12, with a stated shelf life of three years for that specific pack.[1]

Common uses for Gulong Braised Pork include:

• A topping for rice
• An ingredient in noodle dishes
• A quick meal served with vegetables
• A component in stews
• Emergency pantry food
• An ingredient for home-style Chinese cooking

Gulong is sometimes compared to brands such as SPAM due to their shared category of canned luncheon meat. However, their identities differ significantly.

Luncheon meat is only one part of Gulong’s identity; its broader positioning is that of a comprehensive Chinese canned-food producer.

Gulong’s export history includes several recognitions from Chinese governmental and industry bodies. An overseas company profile reports that the brand received the following distinctions:

• Chinese Export Brand
• China Top Brand
• Renowned Chinese Trademark

The same source describes Gulong as the only Chinese canned-food brand at the time to have received all three distinctions. These awards refer to historical Chinese brand-recognition programs and should be interpreted in that context rather than as current rankings.[4]

The Gulong brand image can be summarized through four interconnected concepts: Chinese heritage, traditional flavors, canned-food expertise, and international distribution.

Rather than mimicking modern Western snack brands, Gulong’s identity is closely connected to traditional Chinese pantry food. Its canned braised pork, luncheon meat, fish, mushrooms, and sauces cater to households seeking Chinese ingredients that are long-lasting, easy to store, quick to prepare, familiar in flavor, relatively inexpensive, and convenient for cooking.

Today, Gulong remains centered on Xiamen Gulong Food Co., Ltd., with canned food continuing to be a core business. The company has expanded into soft-packaged convenience foods, condiments, prepared meals, and other food-related activities.[1]

The company also operates the Gulong Sauce Cultural Park, described as a national AAA tourist attraction and a venue for demonstrating traditional sauce-making culture. The site reportedly receives more than 300,000 domestic and international visitors annually.[1]

1. ABOUT US-Xiamen Gulong Food Co., Ltd
2. Gu Long – Goh Joo Hin Pte Ltd
3. Xiamen Gulong Food Co.,Ltd.
4. Xiamen Gulong Imp. & Exp. Co., Ltd. – Seafood Trade